This unit will provide some useful skills that help with your studies without neglecting your

other responsibilities and activities. We will discuss setting personal goals and motivational strategies to help you achieve your goals. To help you learn better, we will provide tips on creating a conducive study environment, various learning styles as well as techniques to enhance your memory. You will also learn how to take notes effectively.

1. Identify and set goals for your U studies. 2. Apply motivational strategies for managing your learning. 3. Apply techniques to enhance memory skills in learning. 4. Manage your stress level. 5. Allocate time for study, work and other daily tasks. 6. Differentiate the various personal learning styles. 7. Take notes effectively.

Objectives: 1.Explain the meaning of a goal. 2. Identify and set effective goals for your U study. 3. Differentiate between short-term goals (STG) and long-term goals. (LTG)

1.In football players chasing a football hoping to score a goal. 2. You are just like them, working very hard to score a goal too.

1. Goals are wants 2. Many people fail to achieve their goals because they do not take the necessary effort towards achieving them. 3. In business environment, theres only 1 goal = to maximise profits - via hard work and effective strategies. 4. As a student your main goal is to secure a degree. 5. To begin, it is important that you have clear and specific goals. 6. You are more likely to succeed academically if you are aware of the reasons for signing up at WOU. 7. The reasons could be career, personal satisfaction or social aspirations.

Career To get promoted to a higher position.

Personal satisfaction Social To do something To be equal with positive with my life. my friends.

Fill in the box below with your reasons for taking up this degree programme at WOU.

Career

Personal Satisfaction

Social

Others (fill in)

1.Having clear goals and putting in the right effort will help you achieve them. 2. Hence it is important to have goals! 3. Locke (1968,1990) : individuals make calculated decisions about their desired goals. Once they determine the goals they intend to achieve these goals and intentions direct and motivate efforts to attain them. 4. Thus setting goals affects the behaviour of individuals and their job-related performance.

1. Challenging and realistic your goal must not be so easy your goal must not be too difficult or impossible set a goal which is slightly difficult and challenging You must know your own ability Getting a degree at WOU is both realistic and challenging to you ??????

a. a. I will get high scores for all my exams. b. I will get no less than 75 marks for all my exams. 1. (b) is definitely more specific and measureable because you can judge when you have completed or reached the goal-75 marks or more.

1. Success = a series of little victories. 2. Effective goals encourage steady progressDAD,WAW. 3. Make small goals which you can achieve weekly. e.g. From Mon to Fri , I must read thru section 1.3 of Unit 1. I must also complete the 3 activities and the self-test paper. 4. This means you must read the entire unit and write down all the answers. 5. Whenever you have progress, rejoice, feel proud of what you have done and you will feel motivated.

1. A +ve goal = getting high marks in exam = positive state of mind = pleasant memories and experiences. 2. -ve goals = unpleasant memories. 3. Success = we focus on striving towards +ve outcomes Let us think which is +ve or ve.

a. I do not w ant to fail W UC 131 b. I w ant to get a Grade A in W UC 131.

Which of the above is a +ve goal ?

It is good to set a starting point and a finishing point for your goal. E.g. Instead of saying : I will get my ODL assignment done this month, You may want to say: I will start my oDL assignment on 10 October and complete it by 21 October.

1. STGs are also called objectives. 2. They are stepping stones to meeting LTGs. 3. LTGs comprises of plans you make for your future.- family,career and retirement. 4. People set LTGs by imagining where they want to be 5 to 10 years from now.-They use ST objectives. 5. Objectives consist of goals regarding education, part-time or ST jobs and projects. 6. Each of these = LTGs

Determine your LTGs In the space below, write your LT education goal. Bear in mind the 5 charateristics of effective goals mentioned above, write down your LTG. My LTG is _________________________________________

Plan to achieve your long term goal

To attain your LTG, you need to make STGs or objectives which will lead you to that LTG. List the STGs or objectives that will help you achieve the LTG you have stated above. My ST objectives towards getting my degree are: 1. ____________________________________________ 2. ____________________________________________ 3. ____________________________________________

1. Knowing your goals and objectives will help you maintain your focus on life and guide you along your academic and career path. 2. It will prevent you from drifting aimlessly in life. 3. Balance your personal goals and your academic goals. 4. Discuss your goals with your family members. 5. Stating your objectives and goals is an important step towards your academic success. 6. There are challenges and some people view these as barriers or obstacles. 7. How are you going to view them ?????

Have you faced any barriers in achieving any of your goals during your school days or in your career ? Now that you are a student again, can you think of any potential obstacles which you feel are likely to prevent you from achieving your academic goal ? ________________________________________ ________________________________________ ________________________________________

You need to identify your potential obstacles so that you can begin to prepare to overcome them. You may do this by learning useful strategies, which we shall discuss in other sections in this course. When you have set your goals, you must always review them to determine how you can achieve them. To help you focus on your goals, ask yourself the following questions: What goal related skills or knowledge do I have? How do I get additional skills or knowledge? What resources do I need and where can I get them? What help or assistance do I need? What obstacles will I face in achieving my goals? What can I do to reduce or overcome these obstacles? Remember you do not need to achieve success all the time. Bill Lim, Success is not the goal, but the journey towards the goal.

Find out how being positive can bring you success. Bili Lim Dare to Fail- His positive attitude has led him to success. Web Reference: i. http://www.daretofail.com/theauthor2.ht ml ii. www.moresales.com.my/catalog/entry/lkjj rivs.shtml.

In this section, you learnt about goals and the characteristics of effective goals such as challenging, realistic, measurable, positive, etc. We also discussed the differences between STGs and LTGs. STGs, which are referred to as objectives, lead you to your LTGs.

Please answer the following questions and compare your responses to the suggested answers at the end of this unit. 1. Why are goals important ? _____________________________________ 2. Discuss the characteristics of an effective goal. _____________________________________ 3. According to Bili Lim, The willingness to fail breeds success. What do you think this statement means in relation to achieving the goals you set? _______________________________________

Objectives: 1. Explain the meaning of motivation. 2. Apply motivaional strategies in your learning. 3. Apply techniques to enhance your memory skills in learning. 4. Evaluate your stress level and allocate your time for study, work and other daily tasks.

1. Success in your studies does not happen by itself or by chance. 2. To succeed, you need to make effort. 3. You need to organise yourself so that your efforts are focused towards earning your degree. 4. Rearrange your daily schedule 5. Make certain sacrifices. 6. Making new arrangements for family,work or even social life. e.g. pick up children from school, cut down overtime etc.

1. Tools or ways to motivate yourself to understand, learn and integrate new material or skills. 2. Learn how to learn

1. an encouragement. 2. Extrinsic motivation = encouragement from outside or external force. 3. Is the driving power behind all our actions. 4. Intrinsic motivation = motivation from within 5. If you are intrinsically motivated you do not need external encouragement or rewards to study hard. 6. Motivation is a goal-directed behaviour. 7. Our motivation depends on our own individual values and beliefs.

What is your motivation ? Take a look at the reasons you listed in Activity 3.1 on why you signed up for this degree course at WOU. Among all the reasons you gave, write down your most important reason. This could be the motivation for you to work towards your degree!

1. how you do your work 2. when you do your work 3. how long you concentrate on your work 4. what study strategies you use

1. Have a conducive environment to study e.g. library

Activity 3.5 Identifying a conducive study environment 1. By now you should have a better idea of a conducive study environment. In column A of the table below, list down the conditions in an environment which will make it ideal for you to study. Write them down in order of importance, from the most important to the least important. 2. Look around your environment. How many of the conditions you listed are present in your environment. In Column B, put a tick (/) for those that arepresent and a cross (X) for those that are not.

Column A My ideal condition

Column B Put a / in this column if the condition is present in your study environment

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
3. List down the changes that you think you have to make to your study environment. _______________________________________________

2. Break down the bigger tasks break down the big tasks into smaller tasks so that they are
more manageable-e.g. for working person, break down task into revising one section of the unit at a time.

3. Set a realistic learning goal

setting effective and realistic goals will enhance your motivation

4. Have incentives
give yourself a reward when you have achieved an objective and this will motivate you greatly.

5. Be positive
Be positive when faced with unpleasant incidents and disappointments. When faced with problems seek solutions by taking advantage of the support of your friends, colleagues, family members and tutors.

6. Learn actively take initiative to look for additonal references in the library or
Internet. Ask your tutor or friends for assistance Form discussion groups with your course mates to discuss topics you do not understand or problems you cannot solve.

7. Relax and exercise regularly

Relaxation is important There are many forms of exercises, choose one you enjoy doing.

8. Have group discussions

Speaking to someone in the same situation is a great motivator Sometimes listening to someone elses problem can also give you ideas and solutions.

Refer to the telephone numbers you have compiled from your course mates during the first tutorial . Identify names of a few people whom you think may be included in your buddy group. The purpose of this group is to help each other through discussions. Write down their names and contact numbers in the spaces below. Ask them their convenient or preferred time for having discussions. Contact Numbers Preferred Time 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

1. Go through the checklist below on motivational strategies to see how many of the strategies you have used so far. Put a tick (/) in the boxes concerned. ____ Do I have a conducive environment to study? ____ Do I normally break down the big tasks into smaller pieces ? ____ Do I have realistic goals ? ____ Do I give incentives to myself from time to time when I have achieved something ? ____ Do I have positive attitudes most of the time ? ____ Do I learn actively ? ____ Do I discuss my difficulties or problems with my friends? 2. What are the strategies I have not tried so far. How can I use them in future ? ________________________________________________
Web Reference: To read up about the principles of motivation, refer to this website: http://honolulu.hawaii.edu/intranet/committees/FacDevCom/guidebk/teachtip/m otivate.htm

Memory is the retention of, and ability to recall information, personal experiences, and procedures (skills and habits) . Memory may be divided into :-

i. short-term memory or recent memory (STM) ii. long-term memory (LTM)

1. STM or working memory = last for a few seconds to a minute. e.g recall a telephone no. 2. LTM = lasts from a minute or so to weeks or even years. e.g memory of past experiences etc 3.
ix. Mnemonic devices

4. Techniques to improve your memory:i. Make the material meaningful ii. Organise info iii. Use pictures iv. Use mnemonics v. Elaborate rehearsal vi. Study actively vii. Study regularly viii. Space out studies

 Make an effort to understand the info before you try to remember it. To make meanings of what you read, you should:i. Understand as much as possible the meaning of the content. ii. Put the info into your own words as your words are likely to be more meaningful than the authors. iii. Think of your own examples and relate it to other info you ve learnt and/or your own life experiences. Example: Motivation is something which makes us want to do something. Your own e.g of motivation = getting a higher salary when you have earned your degree at WOU.
Remember, examiners like answers that are not memorised.

1. Organise the materials into meaningful categories. e.g. if you have numerous vocab terms to learn, group them into categories according to textbook heading. See table 3.2
Types of Families Egalitarian Extended Matriarchal Nuclear patriarchal Types of Residences Matrilocal Neolocal patrilocal Types of Marriages Monogamy Polygamy Polygyny polyandry Marriage Customs Endogamy Exogamy

1. A picture is worth a thousand words 2. graphic memory 3. If you remember pictures better, create mental pictures to enhance memory especially learning abstract words. 4. Include a mental picture with the definition = encoding the info into your memory systems in two ways. e.g. rejoice = be happy to help you remember better, you might relate to your friends cheering and jumping.

1. Take the first letter of each word in the info to help you remember. e.g. The characteristics of effective goals can be remembered by using the mnemonic SMART. S Specific M Measurable A Attainable R Relevant T - Time

Now, take some time off your studies and play some games to test your memory. There are many interesting games available at the following site. Try them to see whether your memory fails you:
http://staff.washington.edu/chudler/chmemory.ht ml

1. Rehearsal = the repetition of information 2. 2 types : i. rote rehearsal- repeating the same words over and over again not effective cos not meaningful ii. elaborative rehearsal expanding on info by analysing it further and relating to info already stored in memory. much more effective for LTM. e.g. the term norm to help you remember better, elaborate by relating its meaning to something you already know: Norms are sets of desirable behaviour that people are supposed to follow in their interactions with others.
# The more you elaborate , the more likely you are to remember them and get high grades too.

1. Explain the info out loud to yourself using your own words. 2. Explain the info several times,but try to recite the info a little differently each time by rewording it or thinking of different examples. 3. Think critically about what you study. Note the relationships among ideas, ask yourself how and why, compare and contrast info, determining the significance of events, etc.

1. You have to study regularly. 2. To achieve high marks you need to:
i. Read through your notes and highlight key points and / or use the left margin of your paper to indicate important info such as major concepts vocab, etc. Each time you read it is good to write out the dates by the side of each section. ii. Reread the headings and subheadings, portions of the text that you have highlighted or marked and finally , read the summary. 3. You need to repeatedly go over the materials 4. Frequent revision helps to keep the info fresh in your mind. 5. Know what you do not know.

1. Using note card to enhance memory is basically based on the flash card concept. 2. Formulas, concepts or important dates are written on one side of the card while their difinitions, details, meanings or elaboration are written on the other side. Different colour pens may be used for different types of terms or concepts. Reading through these note cards saves time and increases efficiency during revision. e.g. Front of card:
Overcome The Hurdle to Academic Success
Source from which this phrase is taken,e.g, title of book Page of the book from where this phrases is found.

3. 4.

Critical Thinking
pg. 27

Back of card:
Process of thinking to evaluate whether info is : Accurate Complete Trustworthy Applicable to a particular situation Elaboration of Critical Thinking

9. Spread out your study

avoid cramming spread out your studies over several days materials should be studied in small amounts try to revise the materials that you studied the previous day. even when you think you know the material, study it. learning and remembering require a great deal of time and effort.

To read more about how memory works and also techniques for memorising, please visit : http://www.thememorypage.net/tut.htm
1. Think of the days when you were in school. How did you remember what you learnt in History or Science? List down the methods you used. _________________________________________________________ 2. Which of the methods you used was the most effective for you ? Does your list match any of the methods mentioned above ? ________________________________________________________ 3. Choose two 500-word articles from a magazine or newspaper. Read each article twice. Select one method which you think will help you remember the concepts or facts contained in the article. Using one article at a time, try to recall the concepts or facts 24 hours later. Can you remember better? ________________________________________________________

Have you ever wished that you had 48 hours instead of 24 hours ? How many times have you said: I dont have time to do my assignments. Why are you always short of time? Perhaps, it is due to your inability to manage your time well. As a result you you not seem to have time for your studies or work. Lets find your management score.

Do this simple time management quiz at the following website to find out your time management score: http://www.ucc.vt.edu/lynch/TMQuiz.htm It is a Time Management Quiz which tests how you manage your time. There is a Yes/No answer for each question in the quiz. If your score for the above quiz is high, between 8 to 10 points, then you have managed your time well. If your score is between 5 to 7, then your TM skill is average. However, if your score is below 5, then you have to think again about your TM skills.

 take charge of your time. have fun and also meet your obligations control of your time, stress level and energy level make progress at work maintain balance between work, personal and family lives. enough flexibility to respond to new opportunities or challenges Poor TM = stress

 Use of calendar or planner and taking time to write down everything you must do so that it gets done. e.g. going to class, eating, athletic events, social activities, personal hygience, time-in-transit, studying, student organizations and telephone and TV time, and everything in between.

 use a wall/desk calendar for major exam,TMA due dates + meetings keep a pocket/month calendars in a planner as reminder of tutorials, appts, meetings + errands. record all class assignments-quizzes, tests, projects + papers. make a big note on calendar on dates of exams. set own dates for starting + completing the assignments. remember to update your semester schedule. record also work hours, meetings + social commitments.

Make a simple semester calendar. Jot down the important dates for every month. They may include dates for your major exams, assignment due dates, tutorials, tests and meetings. These are basically the events that you must do and which are quite fixed. State the event, the exact due date, and its percentage weighting. This process will help you to identify times in the semester when several assignments may bedue at or around the same time. If this is the case, you will need to set earlier deadlines for certain work. In order to manage your time successfully and to avoid stress, it is important to pace the workload more evenly over the semester. You need to refer to your Student Handbook for all exact dates of your semester break. You may make a sample planner as shown below.

Date of each semester week

Date Week A B C D Others

In the planner above, write down the dates for a particular week in the Date column, for e.g., for Week 1, you may write: 2nd 8th Oct. Four separate rows in the planner, namely A,B,C and D have been drawn for the 4 courses you are taking for the semester. Increase the no. of rows if you take more courses. The last row, labelled Other has been included for your work, family and social events. In this case, you may write, for e.g. meeting or wedding.

1 2 3 4 5
Assign. 10%

7 8 9 10

11

12
Assignments 20 %

Test20%

A weekly schedule should be used , which should be made once a week preferably on a Sunday night before the week begins. This includes: a. b. c. d. e. f. g. all classes exercise routine work extracurricular activities housekeeping duties sleeping eating

Make sure to leave blank spaces to fit in necessary activities as they come up. These blanks should be utilised for studying and the completion of assignments. Study time should be scheduled for at least two hours a day. Do you still remember the total number of hours you need which was mentioned in Unit 2? Make a list of what you have to complete during the coming weeks, including assignments and office work. Include also your family and personal activites. In other words, identify and take note of deadlines. It is important to estimate how long each task will take. Prioritise your activities. List down the activites in order of importance. Give priority to those activities which are important and must be done during the week. The less important acitvites can be done in another week or when you have less load. Remember, as part time student, it is advisable to set aside at least an hour everyday for your studies! Then identify the day on which you will accomplish each task, keeping in mind the amount of time the task will take and other things you must also do that day.

Based on your semester planner which you have completed in Activity 3.11, create one weekly schedule for the first month of your semester. When you prepare the weekly schedule, bear in mind the tips you have just learnt in the previous section. You must remember to include two hours study time for each day! After you have completed it, you can compare your weekly schedule with your course mate. You will ntice how different their weekly schedules are compared to yours. Again, you may use the sample below. Remember, you can modify it to suit your needs, especially the time slots.

Day/Time Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday

81011- 110am 11am 1pm 3pm

355pm 7pm

799pm 11pm

After you have prepared the schedule, go through it to see how you can re-schedule it to make it more effective. You may also keep your schedule in a visible place, for e.g. next to your desk/pin it on a board. Look at it everyday to remind yourself of your proposed schedule.

Before you start your day every morning, write out a daily schedule . Include uncompleted tasks from the previous day as well as new tasks. The list of tasks to be done should be kept short, about 5 or 6 items, both academic and personal. The items should be small specific goals such as : Read 5 pages in Learning Skills. It should not be a whole unit of the course materials. As you write out your daily schedule, arrange them in order of importance. Some activities must be done on a particular day while others may be done on another day. This can definitely reduce your stress level. Then, you must use your schedules every day and learn to say no to acivities which are not relevant. In this way, you are more likely to keep to your schedule. For every item which you have accomplished, draw a line across the item. The more lines you see on the list, the more you feel satisfied you should feel. Take a break when you have finished all the tasks for the day. If you often find you cannot finish all the tasks most of the days, you need to review youe schedule.

 After you arrange your daily schedule, review it. Ask yourself whether the schedule for the day is realistic. If it is not, remove some of the less urgent items. Every evening, look through the schedule. Ask yourself: Have I done everything on my list ? If not, why ? Was the schedule unrealistic or was my time management ineffective ? What adjustment can I make in future to make my schedule work better for me ?

A sample of a daily schedule is given below:

List of Things To Do 1 2 3 4 5
Lunch with Judy, an old classmate. Visit RO to find out about the coming test on Learning Skills. Read Unit 1 of Learning Skills, section 1.2 See the plumber about water leakage in toilet. Shop for a pair of shoes for work.

Order of Priority
4 2 3 1 5

Use the sample above to create your own daily schedule list.

Look at the chart below. It gives you a summary of the TM you should do so that you can manage your learning more effctive.
Create a semester schedule

Assess and plan your work load each week

Adjust your plan each day

Evaluate your schedule

Chart 3.1 Time Management

After you have made your semester plan, weekly plan and daily plan, the next most important thing to do is to stick to your schedule. it is a common weakness among students to forget about hteir schedule after a few weeks of drawing it up. Following a regular schedule has many advantages: It will help motivate you When you plan and carry out your study in frequent but small, manageable chunks, it makes your life easier. A study schedule means that you dont waste time but rather have time for other commitments. A schedule also helps you to track your progress. You can see that you have achieved set tasks, completed assignments on time and made good progress.

1. Stress is a part of everyones life. 2. It is a response of the body to a variety of internal and external stimuli. 3. External stimuli job change, move to city, death of a loved one or an illness in family. 4. Internal stimuli physical/mental discomfort. 5. Happy as well sad events can create stress. 6. Stress = need to strive for perfection or to please others. 7. Stress has effects on health and performance. 8. Sometimes, stress helps people attain difficult goals and perform well. 9. Total absence of stress would make life very boring. 10. Each person handles stress differently so it is important to recognise your limit.

Stress

Good Stress (Eustress)

Bad Stress (Distress)

1. Good Stress = getting up on time and attending all your tutorial classes. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Stress challenges students to do their best and keeps learning and growing. Final exams are an especially stressful time. This stress prompts students to study harder, longer and learn more = +ve stress trigger = functional stress. Stress that lasts a short period of time can rapidly motivates us. A stress that lasts too long, happens too often, or is too strong may bring us physical, behavioural, and psychological problems = -ve stress = dysfunctional stress. Examples of bad stress = going to class unprepared, your health, financial problems,or even a hungry stomach.

1. What do you consider to be good stress in your life since you started studying at WOU ? ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ 2. Why are they good ? __________________________________________________________ 3. What is bad stress ? __________________________________________________________ 4. Who can you consult for help on this matter ? ___________________________________________________________

Do you want to find out your stress level ? There is a test to find out your stress level at this website : http://www.lessons4living.com/stress_test.htm All you have to do is to provide a Yes or No answer to 20 simple questions about yourself. You will know you stress immediately after you submit your answers online. Your score shows that you are stressed, then you need to take some action.

Feelings Anxiety Irritability Fear Moodiness

Thoughts Difficulty in concentrating

Forgetfulness Preoccupation with the future Fear of failure

Behavioural Crying Acting impulsively. Nervous laughter Increased smoking Increased alcohol Increased/decreased appetite

Physical Tight muscles.

Cold or sweaty hands. Headache. Back or neck problems. Sleep disturbances Indigestion problems. Rapid breathing Fatigue Trembling

Figure 3.2 Stress signals

* Consult a doctor if you have any symptoms which disturb you severely.

Making mistakes is terrible. It is essential to be loved by everyone. I must always be competent. Every problem has a perfect solutions. If others criticise me, I must have done something wrong. I cant change the way I think. I must rarely show weakness or cry. Strong people do not ask for help. Everything is within my control. Other people should see things the same way I do. People should do what I want because they love me. The world ought to be fair

Take a moment to write down specific things or times that made you feel stressed.

Causes of Stress
Major Expected Events (something big you know is coming): Test,Presentation,Baby,Taxes Major Unexpected Events (something big that happens unexpectedly):accident,illness Daily Grind (All the little things that make up your day):Parking, going to class, driving Personal Attributes (All things about you):Genetic makeup, Flexibilty, Disabilities Others

When

Why

Writing down your thoughts will help you process and understand what causes you stress and why. Understanding these two things is fundamental to managing your stress.

Three types of approaches to managing stress: 1. Action-oriented ; confront the problem causing stress, changing the environment/situation. 2. Emotionally-oriented: we manage stress by changing our interpretation of the situation and the way we feel about it. 3. Acceptance-oriented: Where something has happened over which we have no power and no emotional control, and where our focus is on surviving the stress.
How other people manage stress: a. b. c. think of positive events children getting award in school engage in physical exercises- a walk in park, shopping meditation

Now that you have learnt about some of the things that cause you stress and about a few coping strategies, it is time to do some brainstorming. Share with your friends your experiences on coping with stress. You may be surprised to learn of interesting ways that people use to reduce their stress. You may find their stress. You may find their methods effective. Now, list down the methods which you would like to try out. 1._________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ 2. _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ 3. _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________

This section introduced you to efforts which you can take to succeed in your learning activities. In particular you learnt strategies to enhance your motivation and memory for learning. It taught you about good stress and bad stress and how to deal with them. Finally, you were introduced to tM and how to control your stress level so that you can study more effectively.

Read the case given below and answer the questions as follow.
Rose is a thirty year old married woman. She has just signed up for a computing course at a local college. As she has been away from school for a long time, she is concerned about how she can manage her many family and social responsibilities while attending college.She has two young children to take care. In addition, she does not employ a maid to help out in her housework. While she aims to do well in her studies, she also wants to be a good wife to her husband and a good mother to her two children. As she is experiencing a drastic change in her lifestyle now that she has enrolled as a student, she is feeling rather stressed out.

1.

If you were Rosie, what would you do to manage your time effectively so that you will be able to cope with your hectic schedule and study well at the same time ? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. If you were Rosie, which two methods will you use to reduce your stress. Explain how you will do it. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Objectives By the end of this section, learners should be able to : 1. Explain the meaning of learning style. 2. Differentiate the 3 types of learning style. 3. Apply appropriate strategies to your learning style.

The way you prefer to learn is your learning style. It refers to how your brain works most efficiently to learn new info. Success comes with many different learning styles There is no such thing as a good or bad learning style. We have our own particular way of learning new info. The most important thing is to be aware of the nature of your learning style.

learn from texts. learn by doing. objects are presented in the form of pictures. we may classify leaning styles into 4 broad categories.

Case A _____________________________________________________ Rachel understands and remembers best what she studies by doing something active with it. She also likes to discuss with others what she has learnt. She likes group discussions. And, when in a group , she often likes to lead the group by saying, Lets try it out to see how it works. On the other hand, Rachels close friend, Samantha, is just the opposite. She prefers to think over what she has learnt quietly first. Therefore, she usually does not join Rachels discussion group. She prefers to study alone. Both of them always argue over whether to try find out some topics they have learnt first or to spend more time thinking over the topic first. However, both of them have one thing in common, that is, they are not able to sit still throughout a lecture to take notes, more so for Rachel.

Rajoo and Siva always study together though they have different learning styles. Rajoo likes to memorise facts, and is very particular about any single details in what he studies. He is a very practical and careful person. Solving Mathematical problems using the same old way is his favourite. He cannot tolerate even a slight difference in learning style. As such, he likes courses which have connection to the real world. Sivas learning style is slightly different. He likes to discover new ideas on his own compared to Rajoo; to obtain new knowledge. He also likes new ideas and innovation. Unlike Rajoo, Siva is able to grasp new concepts. He is more comfortable with abstractions and mathematical formulation.

Ali tends to gain understanding through linear steps; with each step following logically from the previous one. He is also very particular about solving solutions step by step. Fatimah, on the other hand, tends to learn in big jumps, understand without seeing connections. She is able to solve complex problems quickly though she is not very particular about the details. So, very often, she is not able to explain how she solves certain problems.

Mazlan is a person who simply likes garphics. Anything in pictures will be best for him. He just remembers whatever he can see, like graphs, diagrams, demonstrations and so on. When he studies, he likes to transform facts into diagrams or illustrations. Some people learn better when they get written explanation. Soo Keong is one of them. Oral explanations are equally good for him. If he gets both, that is even better. By using a search engine (Google or Yahoo) in the Internet, try to identify the different types of learning styles. Find out the type of learner for each of the four groups mentioned above. Then, write the types on the blank lines provided at the top of the description for each group.

Case A : Active and Reflective Learners Case B : Sensing and Intuitive Learners Case C : Sequential and Global Learners Case D : Visual and Verbal Learners

1. Find out your particular learning style by answering the questions at this website: http://www.engr.ncsu.edu/learningstyles/ilsweb.html. It is called Index of Learning Style Questionnaire and contains 44 questions. It will only take a few minutes to complete. It is fun because you get to know your learning style immediately when you submit your answers online. 2. Ask your course mates about their learning style. Can you find anyone who has the same learning style as you? Perhaps, you can choose to be in the same group for discussion or other group work later in your course.

The following table suggests the strategies you can use to help you get the most out of your studies.

Learning Style Active Learner Reflective Learner

Strategies
Have group discussions. Group members can take turns to explain different topics to each other. Group members can also try to predict potential test or examination questions and discuss answers to these questions. Always think about what you read quietly. Stop periodically to review what you have read by thinking of possible questions or applications. Memorisation method does not work for you. As you read your course materials, write short summaries of readings or tutorial notes in your own words.

Sensing Learner

Find many facts about the topic to be learnt. You need specific examples of concpts and procedures. Try to find out the applications of concepts. Try to find out its application in the real world. Use brainstorming methods with friends or classmates among the application of those concepts.

Intuitive Learner

Like to discover possibilities. Ask your instructor for interpretations or theories that link the facts or try to find the connections yourself. Take time to read the entire questions before you start answering and be sure to check your results.

Learning Style
Visual Learner

Strategies
Try to find diagrams, sketches, schematics, photograph, flow charts, or other visual representation of course materials. Get relevant videotapes or CD-ROM related to the course materials Prepare concept maps by listing key points, enclosing them in boxes or circles, and drawing lines with arrows between concepts to show connections. Highlight important points. Use different coloured highlighter for different main points. Write summaries or outlines of course material in your own words. Have group discussions. Take turns to explain to your classmates.

Verbal Learner

Sequential Learner

Copy every step to a solution carefully. Fill up any missing ones by making additional references. Take time to outline the course material for yourself in logical order. Relating each new topic you study to things you already know.

Global Learner

You need the big picture of a subject before you can master details. Before you begin to study the first section of a chapter in a text, skim through the entire chapter to get an overview. Instead of spending a short time on every subject every night, you might find it more productive to immerse yourself in individual subjects for a longer period of time. Try to relate the subject to things you already know, either by asking your tutor to help you see connections or by looking up references

Choose one section of any of your course materials. Based on your learning style, try out the strategies suggested above and see if you can learn more effectively. You may do your jottings in the space provided. __________________________________________ __________________________________________ SUMMARY In this section, you learnt what a learning style is. You were also introduced to the 4 types of learning styles and how you can make use them to study effectively. You also had the opportunity to identify your dominant learning style- the style that defines the best way you learn new information.

Objectives: By the end of this section, learners should be able to : 1. Explain the important of taking notes. 2. Apply the 5 methods of taking notes effecively. 3. Identify the 3 steps involved in taking notes for tutorials.

1. When you were in primary/secondary school, you were not required to take much notes. 2. But in a higher level of education, you have to do more note taking. 3. Having good lecture notes to revise can determine how well you are able to perform during exams. 4. As an ODL, one effective way to learn is to take notes from the materials. 5. You may take down the important points or summaries the text. 6. Taking notes effectively is a skill which you have to develop to help you improve your studies and remember important facts.

 Make you concentrate on what you are learning. Enable you to put ideas into your own words. Help you remember things better. Are excellent for revision.

o Read with a purpose in mind.

o Identify the main points. o Use your own words. o Understand first and use own words to explain it. o Write the notes in own words to remember better. o Notes are shorter than original materials so easier to revise.

 Take notes effectively during tutorials. Spend some time before tutorial sessions start. 3 steps to take good notes: 1. Prepare 1. Prepare Before Tutorial : i. Have knowledge about the tutorial topic. ii. Read up on the topic in the reading material. iii. Get additional info about the topic Internet/related books/other sources. iv. Think about own experiences related to topic. 2. Listen 3. Revise

Refer to your Semester Planner to identify your next tutorial topic. Use a table below to help you prepare for the tutorial. Topic of discussion:__________________________

Action to be taken
Read up on the topic in the course material. Read up on topic from other resources, e.g. Internet,books. Think of examples or experiences related to the topic. Questions to be asked.

Benefits ?

1. Go to tutorial with +ve mind. 2. Make a conscientious effort to pay attention. 3. Without concentration there is no focus, and without focus there is no learning? 4. Follow closely what your tutor says. 5. Bring highlighters to highlight important points. 6. How tutors give clues to important points:a. Material written on blackboard. b. Repetition c. Emphasis tone of voice & gesture, time spent on points d. Word signals There are 2 pts. of view,the 3rd reason is..In conclusion... e. List of things which are being discussed. f. Summaries given at the end of class. g. Reviews given at the beginning of class.

a. Start on a new page.-date/number on page b. Write on one side of paper. c. Leave blank spaces- to add comments/note questions later. d. Make notes brief. e. Develop a system of abbreviations and symbols. f. Note all unfamiliar vocab or concepts you dont understand look them up later.

By now you have probably noticed several terms and/or phrases that each of your tutors uses regularly. 1.Take a moment to think about some of the terms and/or phrases which you use regularly. Then list them in the left column below.
Frequently used terms/phrases Abbreviations

2. Now, consider abbreviations that you might use for each of the terms and/or phrases you have listed. For example, if one of the terms is study skills, you might consider using the abbreviation SS to represent that phrase in your notes. After considering possible abbreviations for the terms listed in the left column, place the corresponding abbreviations in the right column above. 3. Compare your list with the lists generated by your classmates. Write down some of the additional abbreviations they have come up with that you find useful.

 Look through the notes. Edit words and phrases that are illegible or to do not make sense. Write out abbreviated words that might be unclear later. Rework your notes by adding extra points and spelling out unclear items. This is important because we tend to forget fast. Allocate enough time for this step. Verify your notes by reading the recommended texts. Edit with a different coloured pen to distinguished between what you wrote in class and what you filled in later. Note anything you dont understand by underlining or highlighting to remind you to ask the instructor. Compare your notes with the textbook reading and fill in important details in the blank spaces you left. Consider rewriting or typing up your notes. Revise your notes regularly. This is the only way achieve lasting memory.

1. Outline method o o o o o dash (-) or indentation is commonly used. jot down points in an organised pattern based on space indentation. Write major points on the far left. Indent each of the more specific points to the right. Minor points will be placed further away from major points
Transport Definition : means of carrying objects from one place to another - three modes - air transport - land transport - sea transport
Figure 3.3 Outline method of taking notes

2. Summary method Write in note form, in own words, the essential facts and ideas from your reading.
Example : The following is a paragraph taken from your reading material on Strategies to enhance motivation for learning. Big tasks may worry you. Break down the big tasks into smaller ones so that they are more manageable. For example, as a working person, it may be too demanding to revise one whole chapter at one tme for your test. You may want to break down the task into revising one section of the chapter at a time. A sample of the note made using the summary method:

Break down big tasks into smaller units so that you can manage it better.
Figure 3.4 Summary method of taking notes

3. Annotation method o The blank space in the margins are commonly used. o Can write down the main points, question marks, ticks or crosses to show various meanings. o e.g. for important points, put asterisk beside the point in the margin. o For a point which needs more explanation, you may put a question mark in the margin. o You may also highlight or underline important points. o Refer to Figure 3.5 on page 52

4. Charting method group the important points into categories. draw columns headed by these categories. record info (words,phrases,main ideas, etc) into the appropriate category. Is useful when you want to get an overview of the whole course in a sequential manner.
Example Chart format of Learning Styles

Visual Learner Diagrams highlight

Audio Learner Listen to tapes Explain to friends

Kinesthetic Learner Hands-on flashcards

5. Mind map method

Created by Tony Buzan a very effective method of taking notes. show not only facts but also overall structure of a subject and relative imporance of individual parts of it. show relationships between ideas and/or conceptsand the connections between or among them. Main topic placed in centre,main topic linked to 6 main ideas and main idea linked to other sub ideas.

Conduct study environment

No distraction

Break down big tasks

Suitable time

Strategies to enhance learning motivation

Set goals

Positive

Have incentives

Learn actively

To learn more about mind maps go to www.mind-map.com

Mind Map Tips Use titles, subtitles and bullet points. Look for key issues and main details which form the focus of the reading materials/lecture. Use short sentences. Underline key points in red or with a highlighter. Produce a summary list/table at the end of a section. Leave lots of blank space while taking notes- add addtional notes later Leave out full descriptions and explanation- notes short and to the pt. Dont be afraid to produce table e.g. Advantages & Disadvantages of... Include topical examples and case study references in your notes Be selective not jot everything you read/hear. Write memory jogs to yourself in the margin e.g. Good diagram p.146 in Book X Keep notes in order and in one place. Develop own short forms which you can use all the time e.g. i.e.- in other words, @ - at etc.

Here are some tips on what you may include in your notes : Facts Definitions Explanations which elaborate on main pts. Examples List of things which are being discussed Repeated info Charts Summary This section exposed you to the importance of taking notes. 5 methods of note taking were discussed. You also learnt about the 3 steps involved in taking notes for tutorials, namely: prepare for tutorials, listen during tutorials and revise after tutorials.

Read the article and make notes of the important ideas. Article 1. Regional haze Health effects Fine particle pollution, that contributes to regional haze, can affect peoples health. People most at risk include those with: heart disease lung disease respiratory conditions (include asthma) diabetes, as well as older adults and children.
Fine particles are deposited deep into lungs where they can accumulate on the surface or be absorbed by underlying tissue and enter the bloodstream. People with heart or lung diseases and respiratory conditions, such as coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure, and asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, are at increased risk of serious effects, because particles can aggravate these diseases. In people with heart disease, particles have been linked to heart attacks and cardiac arrhythmias (irregular heart rhythms). Recent evidence suggests that some of these cardiac effects may result from very short-term exposures, possibly as short as one hour. People with diabetes may be at increased risk of serious effects from regional haze, possibly because of underlying cardiovascular disease. Older adults are at increased risk from regional haze possibly because they may have diagnosed heart or lung disease or diabetes. Children are likely to be at risk from regional haze for a number of reasons. For example, they may be more vulnerable to fine particles because their lungs are still developing. Also, childrens breathing rates can be as much as twice as rapid as adults under resting conditions, and children tend to have far higher activity levels than adults on any given day, which will result in more particles being deposited in their developing lungs.

Long-term (years) exposure of healthy people to particles has been associated with reduced lung function and the development of chronic bronchitis. Peoples chances of being affected by particles in increase the longer they are active outdoors and the more strenuous their activity. This is because the harder we work or exercise, the more rapidly we breathe and greater concentrations of particles reach the deepest and most sensitive areas of the lungs. People involved in an activity that requires heavy or prolonged exertion can reduce the time they spend on the activity or substitute another activity that requires less exertion, especially on days when particle pollution levels are elevated. For example, alking instead of jogging to reduce the impact of fine particles on their health. Symptoms of exposure to fine particles include: Even healthy people may experience temporary symptoms from exposure to elevated levels of particles. Symptoms may include: irritation of the eyes, nose and throat, coughing, phlegm, chest tightness, and shortness of breath. People with lung disease may not breathe as deeply or as vigorously as normal, and may experience respiratory symtoms including: coughing,phlegm, chest discomfort, wheezing, shortness of breath and unusual fatigue. These symptoms are an indication to reduce exposure and to follow the advice of their doctor. People with heart disease can have serious effects, such as heart attacks, with no waning symptoms. If people with heart disease have symptoms of breath, or unsual fatigue, these may indicate a serious problem and should follow the advise of their doctor. Asthmatics should already have an asthma action plan that they routinely follow, but may need to follow it more carefully when particles levels are high. Source: http://www.maine.gov/dep/air/meteorology/regionalhaze/reghealth.htm(Apr 2006)

In this unit, you learnt many skills which will enable you to manage your learning more effectively. It started by explaining the meaning of a goal and more importantly, an effective goal. it also suggested ways to enhance your motivation and memory skills so that you can learn effectively. To help you cope with your busy schedule, suggestions to enable you to manage your time and stress level were provided. For individuals with different ways of learning, strategies to maximise your learning using your styles were explained. Finally, this unit ended with an explanation on the importance of taking notes as well as ways of taking notes. By mastering all these strategies, you would be able to go through your long journey of obtaining your degree much more smoothly. You will therefore be able to achieve your goal faster and through a more enjoyable process.